Slow-Cooker Brisket

A simple and satisfying comfort food, brisket cooked in a Crockpot is great for feeding a crowd. Eat it as is, or turn the leftovers into any number of tasty meals.

Southern Living Slow Cooker Brisket shredded with sauce ready to serve
Photo:

Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

Active Time:
20 mins
Slow Cook Time:
8 hrs
Total Time:
8 hrs 20 mins
Servings:
12

Whether you have it for Sunday dinner or as a regular weeknight supper , slow-cooker beef brisket is a meltingly tender crowd-pleaser. This brisket is cooked with vegetables and seasonings that are turned into a rich and savory sauce to be served with the meat.

Before you start cooking, make sure you grab a brisket from the grocery store, not corned beef . Though corned beef is made from brisket, it has been brined (salt-cured) and will be a super-salty surprise.

What Is Brisket?

Brisket is a cut of beef that comes from the lower part of the cow's breastbone. It is naturally tough, due to a lot of connective tissue.

A long, slow cooking process breaks down the fibers and turns them soft. The result of cooking this inexpensive, yet flavorful, piece of meat in a slow cooker? You end up with a falling-apart tender meal that is endlessly versatile and relatively hands-off.

Should You Trim Brisket Before You Cook It?

Often times, we trim the fat off of our meat before cooking. However, we suggest leaving the fat cap on your brisket so that it doesn’t dry out while cooking.

Should you put the brisket fat side up or down in the slow cooker?

Place the brisket fat-side down in the slow cooker, since the heat comes from below, and top the brisket with the vegetable mixture. You can trim the fat off once you are ready to slice (or shred) and serve.

Before you slice the brisket, like any cut of meat, let it rest for at least 10 minutes to reabsorb the juices.

How To Make Brisket in a Crockpot

Step 1: Sear the beef: The first step to making a brisket in the Crockpot is to start outside the slow cooker. Though it takes a little more work, searing the beef until it’s a deep golden brown adds a ton of flavor. Browning the meat, also known as the Maillard reaction, caramelizes the natural simple sugars in the beef and helps to break down the proteins and amino acids. This results in a deep, rich flavor and a release of wonderful aromas you wouldn’t normally get from raw beef alone.

Of course, sometimes we are in a rush, and if you don’t have time to sear your brisket first, adding it to the slow cooker raw is okay (it just may not be quite as rich). If your brisket doesn’t fit your Crockpot, simply cut it into two smaller pieces.

Step 2: Cook low and slow: After giving your brisket a good sear, it’s time to cook. Don’t be tempted to cook the brisket on high for a shorter period of time to speed up the process. This can actually make the meat tougher. Low and slow is the way to go, so cook it on low heat for 8 hours, until it falls apart when poked with a fork or knife.

Can you overcook brisket in a slow cooker?

Cooking the brisket for too long can result in a lackluster texture and flavor. Make sure to check on the brisket starting at seven hours to see how it’s progressing. Cooking it longer (such as 10 hours) will not necessarily result in better meat.

Why Brisket Is Great for a Make-Ahead Meal

Though delicious on the first day, brisket develops even more flavor when served the day after cooking.

You have two options when saving the brisket for the following day: The first is to slice the meat and store it in the sauce, then reheat it on the stove over low heat, or pop it into a 325°F oven for about 20 minutes, or until warmed through.

We also like to cool the brisket in the slow cooker, let it chill overnight in the refrigerator, then remove the hardened fat. Gently reheat the brisket and liquid in the slow cooker, and then follow the recipe to strain and make the sauce.

How To Serve Slow-Cooker Brisket

Cooked brisket can be sliced against the grain or shredded. Toss it with your favorite barbecue sauce, and pile it high on buns with slaw. Serve it in thick slices with roasted vegetables or mashed potatoes . Mix shredded meat into pasta to make a comforting ragu, stir it into chili for a fun texture, or pile it into tacos for shredded Mexican beef.

Ingredients

  • 1 ( 5-pound ) beef brisket

  • 2 tsp. kosher salt

  • 1 tsp. black pepper

  • 1 Tbsp. canola oil

  • 1 large onion , chopped

  • 2 large carrots , peeled and chopped

  • 3 medium stalks celery , chopped

  • 3 cloves garlic

  • 2 tsp. Italian seasoning

  • 1 cup chicken broth

  • 1/2 cup red wine

  • 1 Tbsp. soy sauce

  • 1 bay leaf

  • 1/4 cup cold water

  • 1 1/2 Tbsp. cornstarch

Directions

  1. Gather your ingredients:

    Make sure you have all your ingredients ready to cook.

    Southern Living Slow Cooker Brisket ingredients

    Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

  2. Prepare brisket:

    Pat brisket dry and season with salt and pepper.

    Southern Living slow cooker brisket seasoned with salt and pepper before cooking

    Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

  3. Brown the brisket:

    Heat a large Dutch oven or skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil to coat the pan.

    Southern Living slow cooker brisket heating oil in dutch oven

    Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

    Sear the meat until a deep brown, about 5 minutes per side. Remove from the pan.

    Southern Living slow cooker brisket recipe browning the brisket in a dutch oven

    Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

  4. Saute vegetables:

    Reduce the heat to medium, and add the onions, carrots, and celery. Cook until soft, about 5 minutes.

    Southern Living Slow Cooker Brisket browning the vegetables

    Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

    Stir in the garlic and Italian seasoning and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove from heat.

    Southern Living slow cooker brisket recipe adding the garlic and italian seasoning

    Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

  5. Add ingredients to slow cooker:

    Add the broth, red wine, soy sauce, and bay leaf to an 8-qt. slow cooker; stir to combine.

    Southern Living Slow Cooker Brisket adding the liquid to the slow cooker

    Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

    Nestle the meat into the sauce, fat-side down.

    Southern Living Slow Cooker Brisket adding the meat to the slow cooker

    Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

    Top with the vegetables. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours or until fork tender.

    Southern Living Slow Cooker Brisket with vegetables in slow cooker

    Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

  6. Slice or shred brisket:

    Remove the brisket to a cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes.

    Southern Living slow cooker brisket resting on cutting board

    Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

    Slice against the grain or shred with two forks.

    Southern Living slow cooker brisket shredding the meat with 2 forks

    Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

  7. Make sauce:

    Strain the sauce through a fine mesh strainer into a medium saucepan. Press the vegetables with a wooden spoon to extract any remaining juices and discard solids.

    Southern Living Slow Cooker Brisket straining out the vegetables

    Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

    Skim the surface of fat. Simmer the sauce over medium-high heat for 5 minutes.

    Southern Living Slow Cooker Brisket simmering the sauce

    Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

  8. Thicken sauce:

    In a small bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup cold water and cornstarch. Whisk the cornstarch slurry into the sauce and cook until thickened, 1 to 2 minutes.

    Southern Living Slow Cooker Brisket whisking the cornstarch into the sauce

    Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

    Season to taste with additional salt and pepper, if needed. Serve the sauce over the brisket.

    Southern Living slow cooker brisket serving with the sauce

    Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

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